Adjustable chair back



Jan. 14, 1941. E, PAULSON ET AL ADJUSTABLE CHAIR BACK Filed Feb. 7, 19595 E H: FZH tmfi P n u 5 D m t N M a W t WHF W H H E Patented Jan. 14,1941 UNITED STATES ADJUSTABLE CHAIR BACK Edward Paulson and Anton A.Maurer, Green Bay, Wis., assignors to Norcor Manufacturing Company,Green Bay, Wis.

' Application February 7, 1939, Serial No. 255,063

2 Claims.

This invention pertains to adjustable chair backs, and more particularlyto a back rest pivotally connected to the side rails of a metal foldingchair.

Adjustable back rests for various types of chairs, such as office,barber, physician, and household chairs, are old, but these compriseelaborate and costly structures which make them prohibitive for use inconventional inexpensive folding metal chairs, and as far as is known,all

metal folding chairs are at present equipped with rigid back rests.

Therefore, the present invention has primarily for its object theprovision of an exceedingly simple and inexpensive back rest for metalchairs,

that will automatically adjust itself to the posture of the occupant andwhich is frictionally held in adjusted position.

Incidental to the foregoing, a more specific object of the presentinvention, resides in the provision of a back support having pintlesjournaled in the metal tubular side rails of a folding chair, andresilient clips positioned within said tubular rails and straddlingoffset ends formed on said pintles, for frictional engagement with thesame, said clips being held against rotation by the walls of the tubulararms.

With the above and other objects in View, which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the novel method,construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, substantially ashereinafter described, and more particularly defined by the appendedclaims, 35 it being understood that such changes in the preciseembodiment of the herein disclosed invention may be made as come withinthe scope of the claims.

In the accompanying drawing is illustrated one complete example of thephysical embodiment of the present invention constructed according tothe best mode so far devised for the practical application of theprinciples thereof.

In the drawing: 45 Figure 1 is a fragmentary rear elevation of aconventional metal folding chair equipped with the present invention,parts being broken away and in section;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same;

50 Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary detail of the adjustableconnection between the back rest and one of the tubular side rails ofthe chair, parts being broken away and in section;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary section taken on the 55 line 44 of Figures;

Figure 5 is a detailed section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 3; and

Figure 6 is a perspective view of one of the resilient clips forfrictionally holding the back rest in adjusted position. 5

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawing, theinvention may be applied to any type of metal folding chair comprisingside rails l, the upper ends of which serve to support an adjustableback rest 2, which may be of any 10 desired construction and material,providing either an upholstered or plain panel.

In the preferred form of the invention, as illustrated, the metal siderails l are tubular, and provided at their upper ends with closure caps3, 15 pressed or otherwise securely attached thereto.

Secured to the rear face of the back support 2, adjacent its side edges,are brackets 4 provided with pintles 5 terminating in offset projections6, the pintles being journaled in the inner walls of the side arms asbest shown in Figure 3, with the offset projections 6 extending upwardlywithin the side arms.

Loosely positioned within the tubular side arms are resilient U shapedclips I, which straddle the offset projections 6, one side of the clipsbeing provided with a notch 8 for reception of the pintle 5.

Inasmuch as the width of the resilient clips I is substantially the sameas the interior of the tubular side rails I, obviously, the clips areheld against rotation either on or with the pintles 5, and because ofthe resilient character of the clips, the side arms are caused to engagethe offset projections 6 to frictionally grip the same, and thusreleasably hold the pintles against rotation.

From the foregoing explanation considered in connection with theaccompanying drawing, the

structure and operation of the invention will be affords comfort to theoccupant of the chair, but

also facilitates stacking of the chairs when in collapsed position, dueto the fact that the back rest can be swung and frictionally held inparallel alinement with the side rails. Another important advantageresults from the present invention, in that no mechanical operations arerequired in the assembling of the resilient clips, in that this isaccomplished by merely inserting the clips into the tubular side railsto straddle the pintles and offset projections in the manner illustratedand described. The closure caps 3 when secured to the ends of the siderails, serve to prevent accidental dislodgment of the clips from thepintles.

As best shown in Figure 4, the length of the offset projections 6 issuch as to cause them to engage the opposite walls of the rails to limitrotary movement of the back rest to approximately 90 degrees, whichafiords a sufficient range of adjustment to accommodate the averageoccupant, and at the same time insures presentation of the front of theback rest toward the occupant.

We claim:

1. A chair back comprising spaced side rails, a back support, pintlessecured to said support adjacent its side edges and journaled in saidrails, said pintles terminating in angularly extending projections, andresilient U shaped clips straddling and engaging said projections, saidclips being held against movement with said pintles by said side railsto frictionally hold said support in adjusted position.

2. A chair back comprising tubular side rails, a back support, pintlessecured to said support adjacent its side edges and. journaled in saidrails, said pintles terminating in angularly extending projections, saidprojections being of sufficient length to engage the side walls of saidtubular rails to limit rotation of said support in two directions,resilient U shaped clips loosely positioned in said side rails andstraddling and engaging said projections, said clips being held againstmovement with said pintles by said rails to frictionally hold saidsupport in adjusted position, and caps secured to the ends of said siderails to prevent dislodgment of said clips from said pintles.

EDWARD PAULSON. ANTON A. MAURER.

